"You take advantage of my necessities." "Not at all; but the truth is, Colonel, that I am tired of this sort of life, and wish to retire from active business. Besides, every man has his ambition, and I have mine. I wish to emigrate to the glorious West, settle, marry, turn my attention to politics, be elected to Congress, then to the Senate, then to the Cabinet, then to the White House--for success in which career, I flatter myself nature and education have especially fitted me. Ten thousand dollars will give me a fair start! Many a successful politician, your honor knows, has started on less character and less capital!" To this impudent slander the colonel made no answer. With his arms folded and his head bowed upon his chest he walked moodily up and down the length of the apartment. Then muttering, "Why should I hesitate?" he came to the side of the outlaw and said: "I agree to your terms--accomplish the work and the sum shall be yours. Meet me here on to-morrow evening to receive the earnest money. In the meantime, in order to make sure of the girl's identity, it will be necessary for you to get sight of her beforehand, at her home, if possible--find out her habits and her haunts--where she walks, or rides, when she is most likely to be alone, and so on. Be very careful! A mistake might be fatal." "Your honor may trust me." "And now good-by--remember, to-morrow evening," said the colonel, as, wrapping himself closely in his dark cloak, and pulling his hat low over his eyes, he passed out by the back passage door and left the house. "Ha, ha, ha! Why does that man think it needful to look so villainous? If I were to go about in such a bandit-like dress as that, every child I met would take me for--what I am!" laughed Black Donald, returning to his comrades. During the next hour other members of the band dropped in until some twenty men were collected together in the large kitchen around the long table, where the remainder of the night was spent in revelry. CHAPTER XXII. THE SMUGGLER AND CAPITOLA. Come buy of me! come buy! come buy! Buy, lads, or else the lassies cry; I have lawns as white as snow; Silk as black as e'er was crow; Gloves as sweet as damask roses; Veils for faces; musk for noses; Pins and needles made of steel; All you need from head to heel. --Shakespeare. "If I am not allowed to walk or ride out alone, I shall 'gang daft!' I know I shall! Was ever such a dull, lonesome, humdrum place as this same Hurricane Hall?" complained Cap, as she sat sewing with Mrs. Condiment in the housekeeper's room. "You don't like this quiet country life?" inquired Mrs. Condiment. "No! no better than I do a quiet country graveyard! I don't want to return to dust before my time, I tell you!" said Cap, yawning dismally over her work. "I hear you, vixen!" roared the voice of Old Hurricane, who presently came storming in and saying: